新德里，10月19日：美国总统唐纳德·特朗普对俄罗斯制裁的豁免缓解了印度的能源担忧，印度是俄罗斯原油的主要进口国之一，这可能提升新德里与华盛顿达成贸易协议的机会，同时也有助于改善两国整体关系。
NEW DELHI, Oct 19 : US President Donald Trump's waiver of Russian sanctions eases energy concerns for India, one of the top importers of Russian oil, and may improve the chances of New Delhi and Washington agreeing on a trade deal, besides helping overall ties.
特朗普周五发布的一项行政命令豁免了关键的美国对俄制裁和关税——包括对该国商品的关税以及购买其石油和天然气的处罚——这些措施原定于本周在被称为《格雷厄姆法案》的立法下生效。特朗普表示，该豁免符合美国的国家利益。
An executive order issued by Trump on Friday waived key Russia-related US sanctions and tariffs — including duties on the country's goods and penalties for buying its oil and gas — that had been scheduled to start this week under the legislation known as the Graham Act. Trump said the waiver was in the national interest of the United States.
该立法本应使印度商品面临高达100%的高额关税，因为印度是俄罗斯原油的五大进口国之一，这对亚洲国家的能源政策构成挑战。
The legislation would have exposed Indian goods to stiff tariffs of up to 100 per cent as India is one of the five largest importers of Russian oil and posed a challenge for the Asian nation's energy policies.
印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪政府上个月警告称，针对俄罗斯的新关税措施可能损害双边关系，加剧外交紧张和贸易不确定性。卢比奥称贸易协议“非常接近”美国国务卿马尔科·卢比奥将于周二抵达印度，他表示，特朗普的决定考虑到了与新德里的贸易谈判。
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration warned last month the new tariff measures on Russia could hurt bilateral ties, adding to diplomatic strain and trade uncertainty. RUBIO SAYS TRADE DEAL 'VERY CLOSE' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrives in India on Tuesday, said trade talks with New Delhi were a consideration for Trump's decision.
“我们目前正努力与印度达成贸易协议，我们离成功非常近。因此，当总统就国家安全豁免作出决定时，这是我们考虑的因素之一，”卢比奥周一在乌兹别克斯坦对记者表示。
"We are trying to finalise a trade deal with India right now and we are very close to doing that. So, that's one of the things we take into consideration when the President makes a decision about national security waivers," Rubio told reporters in Uzbekistan on Monday.
印度是世界第三大石油进口国和消费国。今年早些时候，俄罗斯占该国石油进口的近一半，但8月份采购量下降，且持续下滑。
India is the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer. Earlier this year, Russia accounted for nearly half of the country's oil imports, but purchases fell in August and continue to decline.
为避免新的美国关税而持续削减俄罗斯石油进口，可能导致印度地区选举前燃料价格上升，或加重政府财政负担。“对一些国家来说，从替代来源获取能源非常困难，”卢比奥说。
Persistently cutting Russian oil imports to avoid new US tariffs risks pushing up fuel prices ahead of regional elections in India, or straining government finances. "For some countries it is very difficult to acquire energy from alternative sources," Rubio said.
鲁比奥此次对印度的访问为期两天，期间他将于周二与印度外交部长S·贾伊尚卡尔会晤，双方将就能源、贸易与投资以及国防等领域的双边合作展开讨论。
Rubio's two-day visit to India will include a meeting with foreign minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday to discuss bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade and investment, and defence.
美印两国数月来一直在磋商贸易协定，但由于新出现的关税威胁导致谈判陷入僵局，协议始终未能最终达成。
A trade deal between India and the United States has been in the making for months but could not be finalised as talks stalled in part due to complications from the new tariff threat.
华盛顿大西洋理事会高级研究员迈克尔·库格尔曼指出：“暂时搁置对俄制裁的决定或许能成为一项增进互信的举措，为双方创造谈判空间以克服最后障碍。”
"The decision to pause on Russia sanctions could be the confidence-building measure that gives the two sides the negotiating space to get over the final hump," said Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington.
此外，由于美国尚未完成针对包括印度在内的多个国家的第301条款贸易调查——该调查旨在核查相关国家是否存在制造业产能过剩现象——美印贸易谈判也受到阻碍。第301条款是美国的一项贸易法规，允许政府针对不公平的外国贸易行为采取反制措施。
A trade deal has also been held back because Washington is yet to complete a Section 301 trade investigation into several nations, including India, over alleged excess manufacturing capacity. Section 301 is a US trade law that allows retaliation against unfair foreign trade practices.
本月早些时候，印度与其他少数国家一道加入了由美国发起的应对结构性产能过剩的倡议。
Earlier this month, India joined a US-led initiative to act against structural overcapacity, along with a few other nations.
上周，新德里的贸易官员表示，与美国的协议已接近达成，并乐观预计最终达成的关税水平将低于其他竞争对手国家——这也是印度长期以来对该贸易协定所抱有的期望。
Trade officials in New Delhi last week said an agreement with the US was nearly done and expressed optimism over securing a tariff lower than those of competing countries — a longstanding Indian expectation from the deal.
库格尔曼强调：“在制裁法案引发的新一轮紧张局势以及美国新签证政策使两国关系‘面临陷入更艰难境地的风险’之际，这一豁免措施在关键时刻为双方关系提供了重要转机。”
"It (the waiver) provides an important opening and at a critical moment" after renewed tensions over the sanctions bill and new US visa policies had put the relationship "in danger of falling into even harder times," Kugelman said.